Report: Shanahan resurfacing in 49ers coach search

As Hue Jackson opted to claim the Cleveland Browns coaching derby, the 49ers’ search circled back Wednesday on a familiar candidate: Mike Shanahan.

Shanahan, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator when they last won a Super Bowl 21 years ago, is “strongly back in the mix,” ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini reported.

Shanahan, 63, has been out of the league the last two seasons. Washington fired him after he went 3-13 in 2013 to cap his four-year term there. In 20 years as a head coach, he’s amassed 170 wins (11th-most all-time) and two Super Bowl titles, albeit back in 1997-98 with the Denver Broncos.

“If I get back into coaching, it would have to be a situation where there was a realistic opportunity to win a Super Bowl,” Shanahan told USA Today in July 2014.

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The 49ers were a realistic Super Bowl contender from 2011-13, but they’ve missed the playoffs the past two seasons, going 8-8 in 2014 in Jim Harbaugh’s final season and 5-11 this season under Jim Tomsula.

Joe Montana and Steve Young, along with several other 49ers alumni, are thought to be backers of a Shanahan hire, and some rallied for it a year ago before the 49ers replaced Harbaugh with Tomsula. Shanahan was one of 10 candidates the 49ers interviewed a year ago.

Although the 49ers have interviewed six known candidates, the extent of their interest in Shanahan has been mysterious. Russini reported last week that a planned interview between Shanahan and the 49ers got postponed but they kept in communication over the phone.

General manager Trent Baalke, who’s spearheading the search, has controlled the 49ers personnel since 2010, which he recently insisted shouldn’t be a tricky issue with any coaching candidates. Shanahan has commanded the rosters in his past.

“I don’t sit in that room with a gavel and slam it down and say, ‘That’s what we’re doing,’ ” Baalke said on Jan. 4. “Every coach that’s been here has had a great opportunity to have input. Whether it’s the draft, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s impending trades, there’s no iron fist in this organization.”

Shanahan’s co-existence with Washington’s hierarchy could serve him well with the 49ers, according to Randy Cross, a CBS football analyst who played for the 49ers from 1976-88.

“I’m being a little more realistic in that this job is not for everybody,” Cross said in a phone interview. “Mike worked with that challenge in Washington, so he should be able to handle the 49ers’ dynamic.”

Shanahan’s age would fit right in with his possible NFC West counterparts: the Seattle Seahawks’ Pete Carroll (64), the Arizona Cardinals’ Bruce Arians (63) and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jeff Fisher (57). On Tuesday, the 49ers interviewed 69-year-old Tom Coughlin, who stepped down last week after 12 seasons with the New York Giants.

Shanahan worked as the 49ers offensive coordinator from 1992-94 under George Seifert, a tenure that included three straight trips to the NFC Championship Game and culminating with a 49-26 rout of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.

Shanahan also could provide insight in whether the 49ers want to retain quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who got benched at midseason.

“If you want to know if there’s any value left in Kaepernick, that has a bit to do with it as well,” Cross said of Shanahan’s potential.

Like Jackson, Shanahan is a former Raiders coach, having gotten his start in 1988 with the then-Los Angeles Raiders. He went 7-9 that season and got fired after a 1-3 start the next year. A Broncos assistant from 1990-91, he joined the 49ers before moving onto the Broncos from 1995-08.

As would be the case with the 49ers, Shanahan came off a two-year hiatus to take over in Washington, where he posted records of 6-10, 5-11, 10-6 and 3-13. He’s gone to the playoffs eight times in 20 seasons and won four division titles.

In terms of potential predecessors, Marty Schottenheimer (200 wins) and Bill Parcells (172) each coached four different teams in their accomplished careers.

How Shanahan, or any other choice, compiles a staff will be crucial as seven teams are changing head coaches this offseason. Shanahan’s son, Kyle, is the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator.

Regardless whether Jackson was a hot candidate or not for the 49ers post, his hiring as Browns coach pointed toward a trend in this season’s coaching carousel: offensive coordinators are in demand.

Jackson, who interviewed Sunday with the 49ers, had been the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator. New Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase, a 49ers finalist last year, served this past season as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator.

Jackson coached the 2011 Raiders to an 8-8 record in his only previous stint as a head coach. Since rejoining the league in 1999 as an expansion franchise, the Browns have reached the playoffs only in the 2002 season. But they did beat the 49ers 24-10 on Dec. 13, their third and final win this season under Mike Pettine, who was fired after the season, along with general manager Ray Farmer.

Jackson bypassed an interview with the New York Giants once the Browns offer arrived Wednesday. Why? “This is about people,” Jackson said in his introductory press conference. “You have to feel comfortable you have the proper support to have a chance at success. I’m more than comfortable with our structure and people sitting up here.”

The 49ers offense definitely could use any help from any resource, considering the last time the franchise finished in the top 10 in these categories: scoring (2001), total yards (2003), passing yards (2003). The 49ers, however, were a top-10 rushing team eight times in the previous 16 seasons.

Last season, under first-year offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, the 49ers finished last in scoring, 31st in total yards, 29th in passing yards, 21st in rushing yards and 27th in passer rating.

I’ll take coaches who haven’t worked in the last three years for a reason for $500 Alex…..

Rob Wademan

Why didn’t Geep get fired?

Ron5

Joan in payroll?

penoyer79 .

the next coach will choose his own staff. so in-a-sense they are fired.

penoyer79 .

With Hue out of the picture the 49ers are waiting on word from Coughlin to decide if he wants to coach out West. Mike Shanahan appears to be plan B. Dirk Koetter with the outside shot.

49heffegordo

Keep interviewing, until good candidates gone to other teams. Look like Baalke has no clue what he is looking for , neither the “Lost “Kid York.
Maybe Baalke himself interested in HC opening to coach.
Shanahan will also make a better GM than Baalke , I cannot imagine Shanahan working along side Baalke .

49heffegordo

Sounds Good , hope our Boy Jed wake up…Sooner or later the “Lost” Kid York will realize that he need to clean the house COMPLETELY he already sent Paraag Maarathe packing.
Shanahan as GM and Kelly as HC
And get rid of the useless Baalke, the distraction ,the ego maniac, the last obstacle.

ssclesq

Baalke has to sweating bullets. No way like vermeil says, a gm wants a older coach who knows more than the gm does. He must be fighting hard against holmgren and Shanahan.

49heffegordo

The job will last in a year or two, and be gone by 3rd year working for impatience Kid York.
A nice contribution to 401k retirement.

49ers fan24

Probably the best candidate.

Just as knowledgeable as Tomsula was too!

49ers fan24

There are Young coaches who know more than Baalke too.

Have you seen his free agents and drafts lately.

You get the impression he knows a lot? ?

49ers fan24

They are looking for another pushover that is desperate and will let Baalke be Baalke.

Trust me they know exactly who they are looking for.

49heffegordo

Baalke wants Eric Mangini old pal from NY Jets in his own mind as HC, so he can stomp all over him…
This coaching interviews just a SALES PITCH .or to Sell SBLs for many SBL buyers many leaving their seat right at Levis.

Greg Pinelli

I am shocked..After all..didn’t we hear the blessed word that the Niner job was still coveted..Including that endorsement from the number one shill promoter Mr. Ryan…(by the way..that guy is disgusting..he trades on his status as an ex player as if he were really worth listening to..he’s not…
Here’s the deal..ye once again..They will be lucky to get Shanahan..NO ONE..INCLUDING THE MOST DESPERATE DUDE ON GOD’S EARTH..WANTS TO WORK WITH BAALKE!!!

WTF9999

Need to fire the GM. Baalke doesn’t want anyone that would question his authority. It’s hampering their coaching search. Wake up Jed. You have an albatross around your neck and its name is Trent Baalke.

WTF9999

Koetter has the Tampa job and Philly is hot for Coughlin. So back to Shanahan or what’s behind door #3.